Soft plastic food package



Nov. 3, 1953 L. PETERS 2,657,998

SOFT PLASTIC FOOD PACKAGE Filed May 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N V EN TOR.

' ATTORMEYS.

L. PETERS SOFT PLASTIC FOOD PACKAGE Nov. 3, 1953 Filed May 4, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 2 mflwm,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOFT PLASTIC FOODPACKAGE Leo Peters, Evanston, 111.

Application May 4, 1950, Serial No. 160,048

Claims.

This invention relates to a mold pack for soft plastic foods. Theinvention is particularly useful in the packaging within a singleretail-size package multiple table-service-size units of plastic foodswhich are soft at room temperatures and whose side and top surfaces areof shapes that cannot be nested or fitted to form a compact, tight,straight-edged, and all-around fiatsurfaced retail-size package. It willbe understood that the invention may be applicable also to other uses.

The invention relates to a method of packaging which is particularlyapplicable to such soft plastic foods as butter, margarine, ice-cream,processed cheese, gelatin products, and other processed foods which canbe filled into packages in a flowing or semi-fluid condition. For thepurpose of clearness, the invention will be described herein mainly inconnection with margarine and ice-cream, but it will be understood thatthe method is applicable to other soft plastic foods.

By the term retail-size package is meant such sizes as are normal forpurchase by a consumer in a retail store. For example, the normalretail-size unit for margarine is a one-pound package. For ice-cream itis a pint, quart or gallon. By the terms table-service-size ortable-size unit is meant such sizes as are normally served on aconsumers table. For example, the normal table-size unit for margarineis a quarterpound, and to a small extent a half-pound. For ice-cream itis any unit less than a pint. A great deal of margarine and to a smallextent ice-cream is sold in retail-size packages containing a multiplenumber of smaller table-size units. For example, one-pound packages ofmargarine frequently contain four quarter-pound units. It is thesequarter-pound units which the consumer uses one at a time to place onsaucer-size dishes for service on the table.

There are a number of foods of soft plastic consistencies at normal roomtemperatures that are or can be filled into packages in a flowing,viscous, or semi-fluid condition which, like icecream, firm up and takethe shape formed by the package walls; or, like most margarine, arepre-molded and firmed-up to fit predetermined shaped packages. All theseplastic foods remain relatively soft after packaging and can becomemisshapen under relatively slight pressures. As a result, it has beennecessary to shape and package them in a manner which will protect theirshape and merchantable appearance against the knocks and bumps that areencountered in shipment from the filling plant to final delivery on theconsumers table.

For all practical purposes under todays methods of packaging, thesoftness of these plastic foods has precluded their being packaged inirregular, non-nesting, or non-fitting shapes except under prohibitivecosts. Thus, for protection, as much as for any other reason, most ofthem, like margarine, have been packaged in table-size units of straightedges and surfaces which are fiat and shaped into squares, rectangles,and triangles; shapes which can be nested and fitted together in amanner which will protect them against mashing. Others, like ice-cream,seek their protection from heavy- Walled, bulk-type, circular or squareretail-size packages made of glass or paper-board. Such packages do notuse table-size units within the retail-size package and thisnecessitates consumers dipping or cutting out portions of food from thepackage for serving on the table. Such servings are by their naturemisshapen and do not present a neat or orderly appearance on the table.

It is recognized among the trade in these foods that the salability ofthese products would be greatly enhanced if a practical method could befound for packaging and serving them in table-size units that wouldbeautify the appearance and be neat-looking on the table. For example,attempts have been made to sell tablesize units of ice-cream (and itstill is done in small special order quantities) in fancy shapes toresemble flowers, animals, stars, balls, etc., in commercial quantities,but to date no method of packaging has been available which waseconomical and at the same time would achieve the desired result.

Under presently known methods of packaging, there is no competitivelypractical way of packaging a multiple number of irregular, non-nesting,and non-fitting shaped table-size units of these soft plastic foods intoa retail-size package which will prevent them from becoming mashed ordented in contact with each other or the package walls.

Similarly, there is no commercially feasible method presently known orused for simultaneously forming a multiple number of irregular shapedtable-size units of soft plastic foods and filling them into an equalnumber of compartments in a retail-size package. Retail-size icecreampackages are today filled in a bulk condition with no table-sizecompartments within the packages. The small amount of ice-cream which ismade up into table-size units is strictly a hand operation. Molds toshape such table-size units are filled by hand, and then after chillingthe molds are quickly and temporarily warmed to loosen and remove theice-cream. This also is done by hand, and then these units arehandwrapped and hand-packed for shipment. Dry Ice or some other means isused to provide 10W freezing temperatures within the shipping containerto prevent the molded units from becoming soft or melted. If this shouldhappen, the icecream would lose its shape and be unacceptable to thecustomer.

Present methods for packaging margarine are also quite cumbersome andcomplicated. To package margarine it must be chilled, then molded intoshape, then Wrapped, and finally cartoned. Present methods for shapingmargarine can produce only straight-edged and flat-sided shapes and thewrapping and cartoning methods can handle only this kind of shapes.-Thus present-day commercial methods for packaging such foods asmargarine and ice-cream are not only costly and cumbersome compared withthe methods of my invention but also are confined within the limits ofstraight edges and flat sides for the range of shapes it is possible touse.

The present-day methods for packaging these soft plastic foods also havecertain features which render them inconvenient for the consumer tohandle. packages of ice-cream, all being packaged in bulk style, theconsumer is constantly confronted with the problem of how to remove theice-cream from the package and serve it in a neat, presentable conditionwithout loss of product. In actual practice the table-size portions thusremoved from the retail package are never uniform or neat in appearanceand usually some product is wasted which clings to the crevices andcorners of these packages. I

With margarine packages, the table siz'e units must be removed from theretail package, unwrapped by hand and thus making it almost impossibleto avoid touching the roduct with the fingers, getting them reasy, andthe margarine imprinted with finger marks. Also, the shapes used formargarine today usually do not properly fit the saucers on which theyare placed. Instead of fitting into the base of the saucer, they usuallyextend up onto the saucer side. When diners attempt to remove portionsfor spreading on bread, they have difficulty doing so without upsettingthe saucer or tipping it on dge. The operation remains a difficult onefor the diner until enough of the margarine has been used so that theremaining portion is small enough to lie wholly and firmly within thebase section of the saucer. I I 4 An object of the present invention isto provide a package and method of overcoming the above-mentioneddisadvantages and serving the above-described needs. A further object isto provide a package which will protect non-nesting and non-fittingtable-size units of soft plastic foods from crushing or denting while intransit from the packaging plant to th consumers table, while at thesame time providing tablesize units of soft plastic foods whose side andtop surfaces are of irregular shapes and which must thus be handled insuch packages. A further object is to provide a package withirregularlyshaped compartments whose irregular lines follow theirregular shape of the contents and give the package great structuralstrength. A still further object is to provide a package shaped to servas a form-fitting mold for table s'i'z'e units of soft plastic foods,the package containing a plurality of table size units of soft plasticfoods whose side and top' surfaces are of irregular and non-fittingcontours, while providing means for keeping such contours intact andpreventing the leaking or running out of the contents even through thepackage is subjected to high room temperatures, etc. A still furtherobject is to provide a package providing a plurality of separateirregularly shaped table-size compartments adapted to receive table-sizeunits of soft plastic foods, while protecting the same from crushing Forexample, with the retail or denting, and holding such units inimmovable, spaced relationship to each other and to the container walls.A still further object is to provide a package providing a plurality ofmolds for table-size units of soft plastic foods, the mold compartmentsbeing non-connecting throughout the depth, while at the same timeproviding means for preventing such units from losing their initialshapes during transit, and the compartments being so supported that theunits within them do not press or push against one another duringtransit. A still further object is to provide a method of packaging softplastic foods in a plurality of table-size units within a singleretailsize package, while at the same time effecting the molding of thefood units into irregularly shaped units by merely pouring the foodproduct into the package compartments to effect a molding there of.appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated in a single embodiment by the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a package embodyingmy invention and shown filled with a plastic food; Fig. 2, a viewsimilar to Fig. i but showing a cover partly removed; Fig. 3, atransverse sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at lin3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. i a perspective view showing the package with thecover removed and in position for receiving the molten plastic food froma filling machine; Fig. 5, a perspective view showing the removal of thecontents of one of the compartments or cells of the package; and Fig. 6,a perspective View showing the container, liner and cover structures inseparated relation.

In the illustration given, [0- designates a container which may beformed or molded from wood-pulp or other suitable material to provide.

separate compartments or cells H. 12 designates a liner sheet formed ofplastic, foil, or other suitable materials. The sheet I 2 has ahorizontal sheet portion i3 and depending cup portions 14 receivedwithin the compartments or cells I I. As shown more clearly in Fig. 6,the sheet 12 may be lowered to rest upon the horizontal portion l5 ofthe container 1 0 and with the cup portions i4 being received within thecompartments H provided by the cell walls "5.

A cover sheet I? is provided. In the illustrationgiven in Fig. 3, thesheet I! is illustrated as a thermo-plastic cover which is secured tothe thermo-plastic sheet l2 as by heat-sealing at the points l8. It willhe understood, however, that the liner l2 and the cover I! may be formedof the same oi different materials and may be sealed together about theseparate compartments or cells or along the peripheral edges of thesheets l2 and I! as desired, and by any suitable means, such as rubberadhesives and other forms of bonding materials.

In one mode of practicing the invention, the container l0 may beprovided with the liner sheet l2 and the structure so assembled passedunder a filling machine having a filling vessel [9 pro-' vided with aplurality of depending filler tubes 20 for supplying the plastic food influid or molten condition to the separate compartments. After theseveral compartments have received their measured quantities of theplastic food, the cover I7 is placed into position and sealed at thedesired points to the liner sheet I2. The molten food material assumesthe irregular curvatures provided by the cell walls It, as illustratedbest in Fig. 5, and upon cooling becomes rigid or semi- Other specificobjects and advantages will rigid, so that upon the removal of the foodunit from a cell, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the unit, as designated bythe numeral 2|, has an irregular contour which conforms to the irregularcurvatures of the cell walls l6.

As indicated in Fig. 5, the molded table-size unit 2| may thus be formedso as to fit snugly within the central portion of a saucer 22, thusbeing served more effectively and attractively.

The container l0, while very effectively formed from molded pulp-wood,may also be formed of other suitable materials which provide suflicientrigidity to protect the food units from being dented or deformed duringtransit, while at the same time providing protective surfaces for thecontents of the package. Various types of paper, cardboard, metal foils,plastic and other materials may be used for the purpose. I prefer thatthe container be formed of material which gives to the package suficientrigidity so that the cells or compartments are effective as molds insupporting the flexible liner and the food units therein, while at thesame time protecting the food units during transit. At the same time, Iprefer that the material be somewhat bendable or deformable with aslight spring to it so as to assist in the removal of the plastic foodunits from the container.

The liner i2 and the cover I! are preferably formed Of moisture-proofand grease-proof materials, such as plastic or thermo-plastic sheetings,including, for example, vinyl, chloride-acetate copolymers, rubberhydrochloride, vinylidene chloride, polyethylene, polyamides, andvarious modifications of these resins as are well-known in the art. Onemay also use vegetable parchments, metal foils, such as, for example,tin or aluminum foils, and a variety of other films or sheets with orwithout coatings commonly employed therewith, and depending upon theconditions which are presented by the particular food to be packaged.

The liner I2 may be attached by adhesive or other means to the containerH1 or allowed to lie loosely within the cells. I find that the linerserves to strengthen the molded pulp-wood and prevents any leakage ofthe contents even if the pulp-wood should break or crack.

A package for soft plastic foods formed of these materials is sturdy,moisture-proof, greaseproof, and easy to use. The extremely wide rangesof shapes in which the compartments of this kind of package can be madeis unique in the packaging field. This Wide range and the sturdiness ofthe material enables the package itself to shape soft plastic foods intoalmost any desirable shape. The molded pulp-wood backing for the linerand contents provides a firm and permanent shape for the contents,permitting them to be packaged and transported through the channels oftrade without any disfigurement. It should be understood that thepackage may be formed either with the base side of the table-size unitslying in the same plane surface or arranged perpendicularly.

An advantage of this method of packaging is its ability to carry brandand product identification right onto the consumers table. For example,in cheese there is a range Of flavors from mild to sharp. It isimpossible at present for the consumer to tell simply by looking at abare piece of cheese on the table just what its flavor is. With ourpackaging, however, the letter M for mild and S for sharp could bemolded in several places on the cheeses themselves. or the entire wordMild or "Sharp" could be molded by the package on such cheeses and theseidentifying letters carried right onto the consumers table in a mannerwhich will enable him to identify without any hesitation precisely thekind of cheese being served.

The grease and moisture-proof materials lining the inside of thetable-size compartments keeps these soft plastic foods from drying outand spoiling and the oils and moisture present in these foods fromleaking out and disfiguring the package. The lining also enables thefood to be quickly removed simply by inverting the package andpermitting the weight of the contents to release it from confinementwithin the table-size compartments. If the food sticks to thecompartment walls, gentle pressure can be applied on the pulp-wood sideof the package to force the contents out, or a slight flexing of thepackage will also loosen the contents.

The package described may be filled and sealed in a minimum of time andat low expense, the package itself providing a plurality of separatemolds for the contents and providing table-size units which may beremoved by the consumer separately as they are needed. In referringherein to the top side or base side, I mean those sides which are at thetop or at the base of the table-size units after they have been removedfrom the package and are resting with the figured or molded side up andthe flat side down 'as a base. It will be understood, however, that thepresent invention is applicable for the production of table-size unitsof any desired shapes or contours. Through the use of the package, andas illustrated best in Figs. 4 and 5, the packaging of a multiple numberof table-size units of a soft plastic food, making up a singleretail-size package, is accomplished in a single operation whichheretofore was performed as the three separate steps of molding,wrapping and cartoning. On the other hand, when the product is removedfrom the refrigerator by the consumer, the retail-size package remaineffective for securely housing in sealed relation all of the table-sizeunits excepting one or more of such units which are removed by theconsumer for immediate use. All of this is accomplished without eitherthe manufacturer or the consumer bringing their hands into contact withthe plastic food.

The consumer, after drawing back the cover I! of a single cell may, uponinverting the package, cause the solidified table-size unit 2| to bedislodged from the cell and cell liner, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Suchremoval is facilitated by flexing the container ill or, if desired, bypressing upon the cell wall i5 as illustrated in Fig. 5. The packageprovides a support for the food unit 21, enabling it to be supported anddischarged at a point exactly over the saucer or dish and in the desiredposition therein.

It will be recognized that the soft plastic foods of the type describedare clinging foods which tend to seal themselves to the package wall orliner with a suction-force and when the liner, etc., is separated fromthe food, it tends to create a vacuum in some areas during theseparation and when separated, sizeable chunks of the food materialremain attached to the liner. This characteristic can be expected todefeat any attempt to mold such a product in a container and to removethe molded product intact and without deformation or mutilation. Byproviding a package of the structure described in which the container isformed of a molded pulp-wood or paperboard or similar material, aflexing container is provided which, while being sufiiciently rigid toproduce the molded form desired, nevertheless flexes and such flexingenables the liner to be peeled away from the molded walls, with arolling or waving or rippling action, so that the molded product isseparated without deformation or mutilation, and the product retains itsmold lines intact.

In the flexing operation, where channels alon the sides of the moldedproduct are opened so as to break any vacuum that would otherwise becreated within the compartments, the liner is stripped or peeled awaylittle by little from the product so that the molded food product, whenthe container is inverted and flexed, will fall from the mold with themold lines unbroken. Thus an embossed or engraved soft food product isdelivered from the package in selected small-size units.

While in the foregoing specification I have set forth a specificstructure in considerable detail, for the purpose of illustrating anembodiment of the invention, it will be understood that such details ofstructure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A soft, plastic food package, comprising a resilient container formedsufliciently rigid to hold its shape but being manipulable in the handsfor flexing local regions thereof, said container having side wallsprovided with channels extending from the lower portion of the containerupwardly to the upper portion thereof, a high tensile strength liner ofplastic material lying within and bonded to said container, and aplastic food molded by and substantially filling a portion of saidcontainer and conforming to the contour of the walls of said containerand said liner, said liner conforming throughout to the channeled wallsof said container so that the flexing of said walls produces a ripplingof said liner relative to said walls and said plastic food, whereby uponinversion of said container and the local flexing of said walls with arolling action, said channels are narrowed and widened to peel away theliner from the food body in said channels and admit air therebetween forreleasing the food body with the mold lines thereof unbroken.

2. A soft, plastic food package, comprising a tapered container formedfrom resilient but shape-holding material and being bendable for flexinglocal areas, said container having a bottom wall and generally verticalside Walls, the side walls of said container having channels thereinextending from the lower portion of the container upwardly to the upperportion for forming designs in the final molded product, a liner of hightensile strength plastic material at least partially bonded to theinside surfaces of the side walls of said container and lying within thechannel portions thereof so that the flexing of said walls produces arippling of said liner, a soft plastic food body filling at least aportion of said compartment and conforming closely to the contour ofsaid walls and said liner, said channel portions of said container beingspreadable under the local flexing of the container walls to break thevacuum within the container and to release the liner from the moldedfood product, whereby upon the inversion and flexing of said containersaid molded product will fall from the mold with the mold lines thereofunbroken.

3. A soft, plastic food package, comprising a tapered container ofresilient material which is substantially rigid to maintain its shapeunder the weight of a plastic food content but being resilientlybendable in local areas thereof, said container providing a compartmentwhich enlarges progressively from the bottom thereof to the top thereofand has side walls having design grooves therein providing channelsextending from the lower to the upper portion thereof, a liner offlexible grease-proof and substantially non-stretchable material liningthe inside of said container and secured to the walls thereof, a soft,plastic food filling a portion of said container and adhering to sidewalls of the container in a molded relation thereto, a flat cover sealedabout the top of said container for confining said food body Within saidcontainer, said container, upon the removal of the cover and inversionthereof and upon the local flexing of the side walls of said container,opening said channels to break the vacuum within the compartment,enabling said molded food product to be peeled away from said liner andto fall therefrom with the mold lines unbroken.

4. A soft, plastic food package, comprising a container providing atapered food-receiving compartment having flexible, resilient wallsformed of woodpulp, a liner of thin, flexible plastic film disposedwithin said compartment and conforming to the shape of the wallsthereof, said liner being attached to said container so that flexing ofthe container walls produces a rippling of said liner, and a soft,plastic food body within said compartment liner conforming to the shapeof said compartment and clinging to said liner, whereby said food bodycan be released from said compartment by manually flexing the walls ofsaid compartment to ripple said liner and thereby overcome the suctionholding said food body within said liner.

5. A soft, plastic food package, comprising a molded pulpwood containervproviding a tapered food-receiving compartment, said container beingsufiiciently rigid to hold its shape but being manipulable in the handsfor flexing the walls thereof, a liner of thin, flexible thermoplasticfilm disposed within said compartment and con forming to the shape ofthe walls thereof, said liner being bonded to said container andarranged within said compartment so that the flexing of said containerwalls produces a rippling of said liner, and a soft, plastic food bodywithin said compartment liner conforming to the shape of saidcompartment and clinging to said liner, whereby said food body can bereleased from said compartment by manually flexing the walls of saidcompartment to ripple said liner and thereby overcome the suctionholding said food body within said liner.

LEO PETERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 927,396 Adams July 6, 1909 1,576,088 Bunz Mar. 9, 19261,888,178 MacElphone Nov. 15, 1932 2,012,529 Eldredge Aug. 27, 19352,019,552 Watts Nov. 5, 1935 2,09 ,126 Speer Aug. 24, 1937 2,134,908Copeman Nov. 1, 1938 2,162,162 Murguiondo June 13, 1939 2,317,067 KnaustApr. 21, 1943 2,358,924 Guyer Sept. 26, 1944 2,501,570 Larsen Mar. 21,1950

1. A SOFT, PLASTIC FOOD PACKAGE, COMPRSING A RESILIENT CONTAINER FORMEDSUFFICIENTLY RIGID TO HOLD ITS SHAPE BUT BEING MANIPULABLE IN THE HANDSFOR FLEXING LOCAL REGIONS THEREOF, SAID CONTAINER HAVING SIDE WALLSPROVIDED WITH CHANNELS EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CONTAINERUPWARDLY TO THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, A HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH LINER OFPLASTIC MATERIAL LYING WITHIN AND BONDED TO SAID CONTAINER, AND APLASTIC FOOD MOLDED BY AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING A PORTION OF SAIDCONTAINER AND CONFORMING TO THE CONTOUR OF THE WALLS OF SAID CONTAINERAND SAID LINER, SAID LINER CONFORMING THROUGHOUT TO THE CHANNELED WALLSOF SAID CONTAINER SO THAT THE FLEXING OF SAID WALLS PRODUCES A RIPPLINGOF SAID LINER RELATIVE TO SAID WALLS AND SAID PLASTIC FOOD, WHEREBY UPONINVERSION OF SAID CONTAINER AND THE LOCAL FLEXING OF SAID WALLS WITH AROLLING ACTION, SAID CHANNELS ARE NARROWED AND WIDENED TO PEEL AWAY THELINER FROM THE FOOD BODY IN SAID CHANNELS AND ADMIT AIR THEREBETWEEN FORRELEASING THE FOOD BODY WITH THE MOLD LINES THEREOF UNBROKEN.